BBC pulls Gaza medics documentary due to impartiality concerns
The BBC says it has decided not to broadcast a documentary about doctors working in Gaza, due to impartiality concerns it has surrounding the production.Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was commissioned by the BBC but produced by an independent production company. It was originally scheduled for broadcast in February, but has not yet aired on any BBC outlet.In a statement, the BBC said it was "determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly". BBC News has contacted production company Basement Films for comment. Its founder Ben de Pear said earlier this week the BBC had "utterly failed" and that journalists were "being stymied and silenced".
The BBC said it was "transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films".BBC News understands the decision to shelve the documentary was taken on Thursday, following public comments by De Pear at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, and another of the film's directors, journalist Ramita Navai, who appeared on Radio 4's Today programme discussing the war in Gaza.A different documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer earlier this year after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack - also known as Gaza: Medics Under Fire - is said to examine the experiences of Palestinian medics working during the war in Gaza.The film is directed by Karim Shah, Navai and De Pear, a former editor of Channel 4 News.
In a statement on Friday, the BBC said it had commissioned the documentary over a year ago, but paused the film in April, "having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing". "With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film."However, we wanted the doctors' voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published."For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms."Yesterday [Thursday], it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC."The corporation added that, contrary to some reports, the documentary had "not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes", adding: "Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film."It continued: "We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially."
Speaking at the Sheffield Documentary Festival on Thursday, before the decision was announced, De Pear specifically blamed director general Tim Davie for refusing to air the film."All the decisions about our film were not taken by journalists, they were taken by Tim Davie," he claimed while taking part in a panel, as reported by Broadcast."He is just a PR person. Tim Davie is taking editorial decisions which, frankly, he is not capable of making."He added: "The BBC's primary purpose is TV news and current affairs, and if it's failing on that it doesn't matter what drama it makes or sports it covers. It is failing as an institution. And if it's failing on that then it needs new management."Something needs to happen because they are making decisions from a PR defensive point of view rather than a journalistic one. If you make a decision on a journalistic basis you can defend it, but if you make it on a PR basis, you can't."In relation to the war, De Pear claimed staff at the BBC "are being forced to use language they don't recognise, they are not describing something as it clearly is [for fear of impartiality] and it's tragic".Responding to De Pear's comments, a BBC spokesperson said the BBC "totally reject[s] this characterisation of our coverage"."The BBC has continually produced powerful journalism about this conflict. Alongside breaking news and ongoing analysis, we have produced original investigations such as those into allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and Israel's use of bunker buster bombs and in-depth documentaries including the award-winning Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101."
High-profile figures such as actress Susan Sarandon and presenter Gary Lineker have previously accused the corporation of censorship over the delay.An open letter, which was also signed by cultural figures such as Dame Harriet Walter, Miriam Margolyes, Maxine Peake, Juliet Stevenson and Mike Leigh, said: "This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression.""No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling," it continued. "This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors' bravery honoured."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
BBC axes Gaza doctors documentary over 'impartiality'
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack explored the destruction of the health service in Gaza under Israel's brutal bombardment, and was reportedly ready to be broadcast in February. We told how the documentary was shelved last month following the controversy around How to Survive a Warzone, which featured the son of a Hamas official. READ MORE: UK Government 'set to proscribe Palestine Action after RAF protest' The production firm behind Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, Basement Films, said at the time that the BBC had postponed airing their film until after a review into How to Survive a Warzone is complete. However, despite the fact that this review remains ongoing, the BBC has now officially scrapped plans to show the documentary after concluding that it "risked creating a perception of partiality" over the corporation's coverage of Israel and Gaza. In a statement published on Friday, the BBC said: 'Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. "For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms.' It added: 'Yesterday it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. "We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. "Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster." READ MORE: Presiding Officer to step down at Holyrood election The BBC said it was transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films, and that the documentary had "not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes", as some reports had suggested. The corporation also "thank[ed" those who contributed to the documentary and said "we are sorry we could not tell their stories". The BBC has been increasingly accused of failing to report on Israel's assault on Gaza in an impartial manner. A report published this week by the Centre for Media Monitoring found that the corporation's coverage showed a "pattern of bias, double standards and silencing of Palestinian voices". It found that the word massacre(d) was used 18 times more frequently in the context of Israeli deaths than Palestinian deaths in BBC articles. Emotive terms such as 'atrocities', 'slaughter', 'barbaric', 'deadly', 'brutal' were used four times more often when reporting on Israeli victims, while 'murder(ed)' was used 220 times in the Israeli context and just once for Palestinians. The report analysed a total of 3873 articles and 32,092 TV and radio broadcasts between October 7, 2023 to October 7, 2024.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
How Dubai is redefining the house music scene- what was once a gritty underground genre has now been transformed into beach clubs, bottle service and guest lists with world class DJ's
With sandy beach clubs, luxurious rooftop raves, and an endless roster of A-list DJs, Dubai is fast becoming the world's most unexpected house music hotspots. Dubbed the 'Ibiza of the East', Dubai offers its own unique style of house-driven events which brings a luxurious, high end feel to the genre of music. A far cry from house music's roots of underground Chicago clubs and warehouses in the 1980s, where it was raw, gritty, and anti-establishment. House music has evolved and split into different scenes, with big-name DJs playing melodic or deep house at beach clubs with bottle service, dress codes and guest lists. One event that embodies this new style of the house music scene is Pacha ICONS at FIVE LUXE, who have a roster of international DJs, including Solomun, CamelPhat and Afro house pioneer Black Coffee who they have on rotation. However Dubai wasn't always known for it's boujee house music scene, in fact, it wasn't until the early 2000's that house music become popular in the UAE. Dubai has curated its own unique style of house events and in the past 25 years the genre has skyrocketed in the country, bringing music lovers from far and wide but it wasn't always this way. In 2002, DJ Greg Stainer, from South East London, a prominent figure in the UK garage scene, relocated to Dubai and played a crucial role in introducing and popularising house music in the UAE. He began DJ residencies at various nightclubs in the city and started presenting a house music radio show, Club Anthems, on UAE Radio 1. Stainer's efforts helped bridge the gap between Western electronic music and the local audience. Speaking to FEMAIL he said: 'When I first emigrated there wasn't much house in Dubai. Most clubs were playing pop, hip hop/RnB and the ones that played any house were mostly playing trance.' Greg claimed he initially found difficult to introduce this style of music to the Dubai audience. He added: 'I was initially booked to play only House and Garage, but I soon realised that I had to adapt and play pop/RnB then slowly introduce pockets of house music in my sets. 'Starting off with super commercial house and pop house remixes, so that the crowd would learn the tracks and get to know them, it took a few months and they actually started liking more 'proper" house in my sets. 'Eventually, after a few years I could do whole nights of pure house music and people would specifically come just for those house nights.' However fast forward to today and Dubai's house music scene is vibrant and dynamic, characterised by a blend of traditional influences and contemporary innovations. In May, Bosnian-German DJ Solomun, known for his signature sound that blends deep house, techno, and tech-house elements, graced the decks at Pacha ICONS. Meanwhile just a few weeks before global house music heavyweights CamelPhat headlined the venue with support from Adam Ten. The platinum-selling Liverpool duo have become one of the most recognisable acts in house music. As well as being GRAMMY nominated for their hit single 'Cola,' they have hosted residencies at top clubs worldwide. However it's not just about the music, Dubai prides itself on high production value with lasers, dancers, bottle service and jaw-dropping locations. Pacha ICONS host venue Playa Pacha's beachfront setting mirrors the Ibiza party spirit and Instagram-worthy aesthetics. Bonnie Rakhit, travel editor, influencer and TV presenter, revealed Dubai's music scene has many similarities to Ibiza's. Speaking to FEMAIL, she explained: 'Dubai's house music scene mirrors Ibiza's in its focus on international DJs, expensive mega clubs and luxury open-air venues. 'Like Ibiza, Dubai hosts world-renowned house and techno acts—such as David Guetta, Black Coffee, and Solomun, at its beach clubs, rooftop lounges, and desert festivals. 'Timing wise, the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) loving international jet-set head to Ibiza for the summer season and then Dubai hosts their mega parties in the winter months.' Bonnie explained while the two hotspots offer similar party scenes, Dubai's music scene is 'more polished.' She explained: 'Ibiza is the original, the creator and incubator of the talent (if you like) and Dubai can afford to pay the same names to come and play at its luxury venues. 'While Ibiza embodies a bohemian and free-spirited vibe, Dubai offers a more polished, high end and ordered scene. 'For example the alcohol laws and opening times in Ibiza have a very free, liberal attitude. But in Dubai there are a lot more alcohol restrictions and stricter regulations.' The UAE's firm stance on drug and alcohol use ensures that house music events in Dubai maintain a polished, upscale atmosphere, setting them apart from party scenes in other global cities. Alcohol can only be consumed by those over 21 in licensed venues or private residences with a permit. Public drinking is strictly prohibited, and the UAE enforces a zero-tolerance policy on drug possession and use. Bonnie added: 'There is still an underground, raw music scene in Ibiza but Dubai's scene is much more commercial and VIP focused.' Meanwhile Jay Wirsig outdoor travel expert and CEO of KayaArm, claimed Dubai has something unique to offer travellers that you don't get elsewhere. Speaking to FEMAIL he said: 'Dubai has carved out a very different kind of party atmosphere than what you see in places like Ibiza or Mykonos. 'As a solo traveler, what stands out right away is the contrast between how tightly the scene is controlled and how big the productions are. 'The venues are not just clubs but often luxury experiences with stunning views, rooftops, and private tables that feel more curated than chaotic. 'You won't find many spontaneous beach parties or open-air raves, but you will find high-end spaces with strong sound systems and top-tier international DJs, especially playing house and techno. 'Unlike Ibiza, where the party can feel raw and wild and often drifts into the street or beach, Dubai keeps things sleek and confined. 'You often need to book ahead, and dress codes are taken seriously. But the upside is you can feel safer, and things tend to run on time.' Another reason Dubai is unique for its house music events is the season mostly runs from October to May because during the summer months it's too hot for acts to perform, especially outside. Fabrice, who is a DJ at FIVE LUXE, claimed the UAE is becoming the 'ideal winter destination for the international electronic music circuit'. He explained: 'With its world-class infrastructure, strategic geographic location, and consistent investment in cultural innovation, the city is becoming an ideal winter destination for the international electronic music circuit—particularly as European markets enter their off-season. 'The momentum suggests that Dubai will increasingly host flagship events, conferences, and cross-continental collaborations. 'The Pacha ICONS series, in particular, has brought a consistent rotation of world-class artists—many of whom define the Ibiza circuit—infusing Dubai with a new level of creative and cultural capital.' Fabrice revealed that FIVE Hotels has a 'deep-rooted commitment to shaping the music scene in Dubai', even adding their own music studio at The Penthouse, FIVE Palm Jumeirah so local talent and international headliners can collaborate. The DJ revealed that Dubai is known for its own unique sound that's 'non-underground' and a far cry from the original roots of house music. He added: 'Dubai is gradually developing its own sonic identity—one that's accessible, polished, and distinctly non-underground.' House music first emerged in the early 1980s in Chicago and it was a much grittier experience then we see today, with music played in underground warehouses. US DJ, Frankie Knuckles, who was often referred to as the 'Godfather of House,' played a pivotal role in shaping the sound. Knuckles, who passed away in 2014, blended disco classics with drum machine rhythms and synthesized basslines to create something entirely new. By the mid-to-late 1980s, house music had crossed the Atlantic and found a home in the UK, with dance clubs playing a key role in spreading house music across country. By the 1990's the new gener already started to evolve and it branched off into different subgenres, Deep House, Progressive House, Garage and UK Garage and Tribal House. House music also gained ground in places like Ibiza, which became a mecca for club culture. By the 2000's house music become more mainstream. With the rise of digital production tools and platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud, aspiring producers could share music globally without a label. Dubai's music scene began to embrace house music around this time, influenced by the city's growing international community and its burgeoning nightlife. In early 2010, the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) boom pushed house and other electronic genres into stadiums and festivals. Artists like David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, and Avicii brought house-inspired sounds to pop music and drew in massive crowds, selling out stadiums.
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Coronation Street star reportedly quits with final scenes having already aired
Jack Carroll, known for his role as Bobby Crawford, is reported to have left the show after two years. The 26-year-old first came to wider attention after appearing on Britain's Got Talent back in 2013. In the seventh series of the ITV talent show, his comedic act saw him finish as runner-up. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jack Carroll (@fatjacko) Since then, he has acted in a few films and TV shows, including Trollied, Eaten By Lions, Doctors, Father Brown and more. He arrived on Coronation Street in 2023 as the nephew of Carla Connor, and the secret son of Rob Donovan. Jack Carroll's final scenes on Coronation Street have already aired In a recent storyline, Bobby and Lauren Bolton clashed when she wrongly accused him of blackmailing her. This infuriated Bobby, who told Lauren that they were no longer friends, and decided to go on a lads' holiday to Spain with Simon Barlow. According to reports, this apparently has marked Carroll's exit from the soap, which his last episode having aired back on May 12. A source told The Mirror: "Bobby has had a dramatic couple of years on the cobbles, but the time has come to bid farewell. "Actor Jack enjoyed his time on the soap, but it's time to move on. Viewers won't see the character exit the street as he's already left, with Jack filming his final scenes some time ago. "The door has been left open for Jack should he wish to come back to the show in the future. With his Aunty Carla there, Bobby will always have a place in Weatherfield." Recommended reading: During his time on the show, Jack's character was involved in a number of hard-hitting storylines, including his shock reveal that he was killer Rob Donovan's secret son. His aunt Carla then took him under her wing, but was left reeling when she found out Bobby had planned to help Rob escape after he had kidnapped her. Jack's exit follows a number of departures of young actors from the soap, including Colson Smith, Luca Toolan and Charlotte Jordan. Newsquest has contacted ITV for comment.
